This yellow-flowered and probably extremely hardy magnolia hybrid, the result of work by the American August Kehr, resembles many other yellow-flowered varieties which have become popular in North America. The yellow pigment of the flowers and the tree-like habit are inherited from the cucumber tree (M. acuminata). The foliage and flowering are more like those of its other parent, the white-flowered ‘Norman Gould’ variety, which is a Kobus magnolia whose chromosomes have been artificially doubled to make it tetraploid.
There are two plants growing in Alppiruusulaakso (Rhododendron Valley) which were planted in 2006. Unlike most magnolias they have survived the winters without problems and grown rapidly, but flowering will probably not start until they have reached some size. The scented yellow flowers open together with the foliage and, according to the literature, can last for up to a month. This hybrid is unlikely to be very tender to spring frosts because it inherits the later flowering tendency of M. acuminata, rather than that of the earlier M. kobus.